None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Background: Physiotherapists perceive the provision of physical activity advice as part of their role, and there is some evidence that physiotherapists can counsel effectively for physical activity behaviour change. In addition, simply measuring physical activity levels, without any other intervention, can cause people to change their physical activity behaviours, resulting in more physical activity being undertaken in the daily lives of adults. Considering this, objective measurement of physical activity by physiotherapists may result in favourable increases in their patients’ physical activity levels. This novel ‘measurement as intervention’ approach could prove to be a very efficient yet effective way to incorporate health promoting physical activity changes into physiotherapy consultations, in a number of different settings. The number of physiotherapy consultations per year in Australia has been estimated to be greater than 23 million. With the ever increasing access to objective activity monitoring devices (accelerometers in smartphones, wrist, shoe or arm worn devices etc.) combined with the broad reach of physiotherapy interventions, even a modest effect of a ‘measurement as intervention’ approach, with accountability to their physiotherapist, may prove to be an efficient approach to increase the populations’ physical activity levels in a meaningful way. However, preliminary work is required to determine the effects of potential measurement intensity (in terms of the frequency of measurement). Methodology: A pilot (two parallel arm) randomized control study conducted over 18-weeks at the University of Canberra will inform a larger study to determine if regular measurement of physical activity by physiotherapists increases physical activity levels in Australian adults (18 – 64 years old).
Interventions
Physiotherapists are well placed in the primary care setting to promote and assess physical activity of healthy adults but the use of a ‘measurement as intervention’ approach for physical activity promotion has not been investigated. It is noteworthy, that physical activity intervention studies have reported improvements in physical activity among control group participants who were measured but did not receive the intervention being trialed at the time. This indicates that physical activity ‘me
Physiotherapists are well placed in the primary care setting to promote and assess physical activity of healthy adults but the use of a ‘measurement as intervention’ approach for physical activity promotion has not been investigated. It is noteworthy, that physical activity intervention studies have reported improvements in physical activity among control group participants who were measured but did not receive the intervention being trialed at the time. This indicates that physical activity ‘measurement’, as a potential physical activity promoting intervention, is worthy of investigation. Following recruitment of eligible participants, they will be randomised to one of two groups: physical activity measurement 1 (PAM1; baseline & 18-weeks) or physical activity measurement 2 (PAM2; baseline, 6, 12 & 18-weeks). The physiotherapist assessor at baseline and 18-weeks will be unaware of the participant’s group allocation. To identify a potential measurement effect, the groups will receive the measurement intervention on a different number of occasions depending on group allocation. PAM1 will receive the measurement intervention on 2 occasions (control) and PAM2 will receive the measurement intervention on 4 occasions, over an 18-week period. A different assessor (final year physiotherapy student) will be used for the physical activity assessments at 6 and 12-weeks. Intervention Physical activity measurement 1 (PAM1) Outcome measures for participants randomised to PAM1 will be completed by a physiotherapist at the University of Canberra, giving participants an indication of their fitness and health status at baseline and 18-weeks. At baseline, participants will receive two brochures ‘An active way to better health. National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults’ and ‘Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults’ from the Department of Health and Ageing. The physical activity guidelines will be briefly discussed but they will not receive any other advice or support for increasing exercise or physical activity levels. Physical activity measurement 2 (PAM2) Outcome measures for participants randomised to PAM2 will be completed by a final year physiotherapy student at the University of Canberra, giving participants an indication of their fitness and health status at baseline, 6, 12 and 18-weeks. At baseline, participants will receive two brochures ‘An active way to better health. National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults’ and ‘Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults’ from the Department of Health and Ageing. The physical activity guidelines will be briefly discussed at each data collection point but they will not receive any other advice or support for increasing exercise or physical activity levels.
Sponsors
Dr Nicole Freene
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria 1. Between 18 and 64 years old (which is the age range for the physical activity (PA) guidelines for adults). 2. Participants must be insuffiently active (<150 mins moderate - vigorous PA (MVPA) per week) 3. They will have no serious medical conditions that could limit participation in moderate physical activity, such as unstable angina, uncontrolled hypertension, diagnosed or hospitalized with chest pain, heart attack or heart surgery in the past 6 months and no severe functional impairments due to multiple medical or psychiatric diseases. 4. They will not be planning to move from the ACT within 18-weeks. 5. Only one person per household will be eligible. 6. Participants will have adequate English skills and have appropriate cognitive skills to provide informed consent and increase physical activity levels, if desired.
Exclusion criteria
Medical clearance screening will be undertaken using the Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) Pre-Exercise Screening System. If the participant answers ‘yes’ to any of the SMA screening questions, they will be asked to attend their local medical officer to receive medical clearance before they can be included in the study.
Outcome results
None listed